With all of the recent rains, do I still need to water my trees?

Unless we are talking about a Coastal Live Oak in an unaltered native landscape, the answer YES.

Multiple years of drought have caused dieback of the fine roots that extend past the drip lines of trees. These fine roots are responsible for the majority of water and nutrient uptake in trees.

Now that we have received winter rains; trees are beginning to regrow these roots. Properly irrigating these trees will provide the required soil moisture to continue this root-zone “rehabilitation.” It could take multiple years of average to above average rainfall for this recovery process to be complete. As we leave the rainy season, remember to continue to water your trees.